Resurrection
by AngeLhearteD
Summary: G Rev: Broken, battered, bleeding, bruised. He gave everything for his final, most glorious victory. She will give everything to save him. Direct sequel to Slipping Away, happens when Kai loses consciousness after defeating Brooklyn. COMPLETE.
1. Fallen Hero

_Since Slipping Away did so well, I've decided to give you a sequel. This one-shot takes place directly after where Slipping Away ends, and it's about Kai getting found and what happens after it. This uses the dub names because I find it easier. I have to warn you it will be heart wrenching in places. But you all like stuff like that so it's all good lol. So what are you waiting for! Read!_

**Resurrection**

_**By AngeLhearteD**_

**Chapter I: Fallen Hero**

The Phoenix bit chip shattered.

The long, dark corridor was empty, and all was silent, except for the faint echoes of hundreds and hundreds of fans cheering outside in the bey arena.

The figure was slumped against the cold, hard wall; the hand rested limply on the cold, hard floor. All around the motionless form were streaks of dark, red blood, blood that had only just begun to dry.

The body was battered, broken, beyond mortal repair. The chest was still, the eyes were closed. All signs of life had gone.

* * *

Spencer didn't quite know what force was leading him towards the exit that lead inside the beystadium, to the corridors that lead to the locker rooms, bathrooms, and training facilities. But he decided to follow his instincts, and made his way towards the opening, followed, albeit begrudgingly, by a muttering Bryan, who found no point and purpose in checking up on 'the traitor'.

The traitor, who had just fought the most magnificent battle they had ever seen, and had somehow, miraculously, managed to wrestle victory from the jaws of defeat, and had given hope back to his dejected team-mates. Never had Spencer or Bryan seen Kai battle with such raw emotion. Emotion. That in itself was a first for him. He was always so indifferent, so detached from everything and everyone.

But the Kai they had just witnessed battle had screamed with pain, fury and something else. He had bled and poured every ounce of strength he had to defeat Brooklyn. And his persistence had finally paid off.

But at a price. Everyone in the stadium had seen the way Kai had tripped over his own two feet after stepping down from the dish. One moment he had been slowly walking forward, a small, slight smile on his lips as his team had rushed to him, calling his name and laughing with pride and happiness. But the next, and so suddenly without warning, his eyes had seemed to lose their focus and he had toppled forward, in an extremely rare and worrying open show of weakness, too drained to stop himself, too exhausted to break his fall in anyway.

Had he fallen to the floor, he would not have gotten back up. Both Bryan and Spencer knew it.

But hands had caught him, and his friends had surrounded him, and he had somehow managed to draw strength from them, strength enough to take back his own weight and to reassure them he was alright, strength enough to turn and walk away, and to raise an arm to acknowledge all who had cheered for him.

And all had cheered for him. For despite his cold, callous appearance, he was a firm fan favourite, deeply loved and cherished; a rare display of passion and talent for the beyblading sport. He was an inspiration to many, and Spencer thought he could finally begin to see why and how. He wondered whether Bryan saw it, or whether his team-mate would ever admit it.

'What's the point of this?' Bryan demanded behind him. 'If he had strength enough to make it into the tunnel alone, I'm sure he would have had no problems getting to the locker room on his own!'

They reached the entrance to the dimly lit corridors and Spencer took the right.

'If there's one thing we've learned about Kai, it's that there's more to him than what he portrays.'

'Since when were you such a Kai Expert Analyst?' Bryan sneered.

'Tala told me that. He always used to watch Kai…' Spencer's voice trailed off.

'Kai's the reason Tala's in hospital!' Bryan snarled.

'You know that's not true. Tala didn't even ask Kai to come with us.'

'That's not the point! Does Kai even need an invitation? He's always inviting himself into other people's business, and he's the first to yell if anyone asks him what he's doing. He could have come anyway, he knew we were going!' Bryan argued.

'If Kai had, he wouldn't have defeated Brooklyn now, and maybe there would be no hope to stop Boris.' Spencer replied.

'Whatever. Nothing Kai could offer will ever redeem him in my eyes.'

Spencer suddenly stopped dead in his tracks, and Bryan also did, frowning.

'What…?'

In response, Spencer slowly raised his right arm and pointed in front of them.

Bryan followed the direction and his eyes stopped on a lone figure, slumped on the floor, leaning heavily against the wall, its head bowed, its left arm resting next to the shattered pieces of what he could instantly make out were the remnants of a beyblade.

The figure was motionless.

It was then that Spencer and Bryan noticed the blood on the floor around and behind them and on the wall next to the figure.

Though he disliked Kai with venom, Bryan couldn't help but be stunned again; stunned by the fact that Kai Hiwatari had actually collapsed.

Spencer quickly pushed aside his own shock and rushed forward, to Kai's side. Bryan stayed where he was, his eyes wide, hands clenched into tight fists by his sides, watching as his friend knelt down, seemingly oblivious to the blood that soaked into his trouser leg as he did so.

Spencer slowly reached out with one, big, strong hand and hesitantly placed it on Kai's left shoulder, lightly, as if he expected Kai to awaken and slap his hand away.

'Kai?' He asked awkwardly, quietly. 'Uh…Kai?'

Bryan watched, hardly realising he was holding his breath.

Spencer swallowed. Why did he feel hesitant to shake Kai? He knew the answer. No-one got close to Kai, no-one ever touched Kai. Then his resolve hardened. If he was going to wake Kai up, he needed to be more firm. He knew that if Tala were here, he would have roughly shaken Kai out of his senses by now.

His grip tightened and he shook the younger youth.

'Kai? Hey Kai, it's Spencer. Can you hear me?'

Against all that was logical in his mind, Bryan felt that his heart was beginning to pound, even though he was furious at it for reacting in such a way.

'Kai!' Spencer shook the young man again, more roughly, but the body toppled forward from the force. Spencer's arms automatically caught it, and he swallowed as he felt the coldness of Kai's skin. The chest that was pressed over his left arm was still.

He blinked, his minds slowly registering the facts at last.

Kai was not breathing. Kai was cold. Kai was…Kai was…

_No…dead…?_ The thought entered Spencer's mind like a foreign body and it seemed so ridiculous that he half expected the motionless weight in his arms to stir and Kai's head to snap up, snarl, and shove him away.

But the slate-haired youth was still, the body limp, no trace of life in him at all.

Bryan slowly let out his breath and stepped forward, disbelief etched all over his face.

'…What…Spencer? Is…he…?'

'He's… so cold.' Spencer said, in a strangely detached tone of voice. 'Bryan…he's not…breathing.'

How long had Kai stopped breathing for…? How long had it been since he had passed away…alone, suffering in silence, in this long, dark hallway, away from everyone else, from help, from his friends?

Bryan stared, his mouth open slightly in an 'o' of shock.

Spencer stared down numbly at the top of Kai's head, at the unruly strands of slate hair. First Tala…and now Kai? Their team captain had not shown much signs of improvements in his comatose state, but at least they knew he was alive. At least, when he had fallen, there had been people there for him, to make sure that he would make it.

But Kai had fallen silently, away from everyone else. And Kai was not moving, was not breathing. Spencer did not particularly like Kai, but death was far from what he wished for Voltaire Hiwatari's grandson.

'Bryan…' Spencer managed at last. 'What…what do we do? He's…' He couldn't bring himself to say the word.

Footsteps jerked both of the Russian youths out of their horrified thoughts. They were light footsteps that skipped towards them from the direction of the bathrooms. The sight of pink hair instantly identified the person as she approached them.

Mariah of White Tiger X stopped at the sight of them, an unfriendly scowl forming instantly on her pretty face.

'Bryan and Spencer? What are you doing here…huh?' Her golden cat eyes suddenly stopped on the lifeless form in Spencer's arms and she blinked, her frown intensifying.

She had last seen Kai just after he had defeated Brooklyn, when he had been turning away to step down from the beydish. She didn't like Kai at all. She thought of him as arrogant and rude, and she never understood how Ray considered Kai as one of his best friends. Regardless, she had to admit, he had fought a brilliant battle. She had told Lee that she would be right back, and had quickly headed to the bathrooms. Now the sight of Kai on the floor when he had been fine in what seemed like minutes earlier to her got her both confused and curious.

'Is that Kai? What's going on?' She demanded.

Before either Bryan or Spencer could respond however, she was answering her own question.

'Collapsed has he? Well it serves him right! He's always trying to show off! And…oh?' Again she stopped and finally noticed the blood on the floor and on the wall next to Kai.

She forgot about her intense dislike for the former Demolition Boys and in particular Kai then and her eyes widened in alarm as the seriousness of the situation finally registered. Kai was not moving. Kai was badly injured.

'He needs a doctor!' She exclaimed.

Spencer finally found his voice.

'It's…too late. He's already stopped breathing.'

'What?' Mariah stepped forward and put her hands on her knees, peering at Kai more closely. She saw the dirt, cuts and bruises on his arms, some deeper than others. The blood was beginning to dry in some places but most of it was still fresh, which meant he hadn't stopped breathing for too long. She then looked down at her pink shoe and realised she had stepped into a pool of Kai's blood, and wrinkled her nose in distaste.

She didn't like Kai. But Kai was a friend of Ray's and she would do it for Ray.

She stepped back and looked at Bryan and Spencer in disbelief.

'How can you just stand there and do nothing?' She censured. 'Isn't he a Blitzkrieg Boy despite everything? Oh, why am I bothering? I'll be right back with help. Just try not to disturb him until I get the doctor!'

With that she ran past them, down the rest of the hallway, her movements light, cat-like.

Bryan and Spencer remained still, stunned, their eyes fixed on the motionless figure of Kai Hiwatari.

**Author's Note:**

_This one-shot will be in chapters. I don't know how many there will be altogether. I know there will be two at least though. I hope this first one was ok and you enjoyed reading it. Please leave your thoughts and I'll be working on the next one soon. Just to warn you, it's going to be emotional : ) Think Kai losing Dranzer in Rebirth, but much more emotional and detailed than that. Thanks for reading!_


	2. Flame of Hope

**Chapter II: Flame of Hope**

'Step aside, get out the way! Lou, help me with this. Be careful! Slowly now…set it down. Get out the way Kim, this one goes to the emergency resuscitation department!'

'Yu, he's already stopped breathing! He's not responding to the oxygen!'

'We can't give up on this one…we can't.'

'But Yu…'

'Do you know who this is, Kim? Doesn't this kid look familiar to you?'

'I…he's…'

'We're paramedics and we save lives! We are not giving up on him! Get out the way; get him inside the hospital quickly!'

The metal stretcher was handled by three paramedics dressed in light blue uniforms. Two men pushed it along and the third, a woman, held the metal bar with the emergency oxygen supply unit attached to it.

Yu, a black-haired man in his forties, turned to face the two people who climbed out of the back of the ambulance.

'Your friend is being taken to the resuscitation department. You may follow the paramedics in if you wish.'

Bryan and Spencer exchanged looks. Friend? Their relationship to Kai wasn't exactly that simply defined.

Bryan couldn't believe he had even climbed into the back of the ambulance when the medics had arrived at the beystadium. They had had to be careful not to alert Tyson and the rest of his team as that would have distracted their concentration.

But something had happened as he had watched two medics lift Kai's limp form from the floor and onto the stretcher. He had felt an emotion so alien to him it had genuinely confused him.

It was the same alien emotion he had felt when he had first looked upon Tala in his comatose state. Not as strong, but the same feeling nonetheless.

And he couldn't believe it. He couldn't believe that an emotion other than hate and anger was reacting to Kai Hiwatari of all people. He couldn't believe he was here, with Spencer, at the hospital.

'Let's go.' Spencer said.

'What's the point of this? He's…' Bryan began, but his friend cut him off, turning on him with anger in his eyes.

'Stop trying to act like you don't care an ounce about Kai, Bryan! This is serious! He might not make it. He might die! This is not just a 'let's hate Kai for everything he's done to us in the past' situation! This is life and death! He's not even breathing Bryan! At least Tala is breathing! We might…we might lose them both! This is serious!'

Bryan stared back at him, his expression blank. But inside he was stunned. Spencer _cared_.

Spencer really cared. He was showing emotion, anger masked the worry and the panic in his eyes. The burly youth shook his head and turned away; rushing to the entrance of the hospital and following after the stretcher.

After a few seconds, Bryan followed after him. They passed through many polished corridors and the entire building smelt mildly of antiseptic. Finally they arrived at the right department. There were many doctors and nurses in the large area, and paramedics trying to resuscitate people using defibrillators. There was a lot of shouting of instructions and Bryan saw one medic drawing a white sheet over a body.

He swallowed.

The stretcher was wheeled around and set next to a vacant defibrillator machine. A male doctor rushed over, his long white overcoat worn open. He looked to be in his late thirties.

Spencer and Bryan stood back, watching silently.

'What's his condition?'

'He's not breathing. No pulse. We tried mouth to mouth, it didn't have any effect.' The female paramedic replied.

The doctor placed his fingers lightly to Kai's arm. The coldness made him draw his hand away quickly.

'How long has it been since he's stopped breathing?'

'His friends found him half an hour ago. But they say he had already stopped breathing.' The other paramedic explained.

'What have you brought him here for? Half an hour? This one is dead! What are you, unqualified? You know there's only a chance that they can be brought back if they've only stopped breathing for a maximum of a few minutes!' The doctor exclaimed.

'Yu insisted we bring him here…he said not to give up.' The female said.

'Yu thinks he can save everyone. This boy is dead. His blood has gone dry. There's no life in him. If he were alive, his blood would still be flowing, but it's stopped. His pupils aren't reacting to the light. He's gone!'

Spencer and Bryan stared, shocked at the harshness of the words as they sunk in. Reality slowly registered…but Spencer was having none of it.

He stepped forward, angry, indignant.

'No…you can't just give up! Use that machine…it's worth a shot…you're not just going without trying!'

The doctor looked at him. 'I am sorry young man, but I am a professional, and I can tell you that unfortunately, this one is too far gone.'

_He's dead_. Bryan thought. _Kai is really dead_.

But he didn't feel happy or triumphant as he had often thought he would on the many occasions he had wished Kai would just drop dead. He felt oddly cold, and numb.

'What kind of professional wouldn't at least try?' Spencer roared. 'Do you know who that is? You can't just give up on him!'

The doctor blinked, coldly professional and detached from emotion. 'Please escort this young man and his friend outside. I am sorry for your loss, but there's nothing we can do for him. Cover him up.'

'No…you have to try!' Spencer said, even as the paramedics hesitantly moved towards him to attempt to usher him out of the large room. Bryan just stared blankly as the female paramedic moved to remove the oxygen from Kai's face and to place the white sheet over the lifeless body.

* * *

Floating…in endless grey. 

It had happened so suddenly, so completely without warning that it was as if it had not happened at all.

And yet he knew, amidst the pain and confusion, the anger and the fear, he knew that he had slipped into darkness at some point in time.

The pain came back to him slowly, like a throbbing ache, and the more he came to his senses again, the worse it got until it exploded within him and forced his heavy eyelids to fly open, the pupils constricting in pure agony.

Kai drew in a sharp, hitched breath, and as he did so, his body convulsed for an instant, the muscles tightening painfully and he was unable to stop the agonised gasp from escaping his lips, which felt oddly cold and numb.

His lungs felt like they were being crushed by some unknown force, and the rasping sound he heard as he attempted to inhale notified him that there was something very wrong inside of him, inside his lungs, inside his respiratory system. It was as if fluid had escaped into them, because no matter how hard he tried to breathe, not enough oxygen was entering his body and the pain of that was becoming unbearable, so very unbearable.

He was choking. He wanted to let go, to give up, but his body was fighting out of instinct.

_No…wait…_he thought. It wasn't his body…it couldn't be. All he could feel was…cold, cold and pain.

Then it suddenly hit him. His heart was not beating. At least, he couldn't feel it. But if it was not beating, how was he feeling the pain?

Again his lungs rose in a desperate attempt to gulp down some air. His body was working on reflexes and instincts, desperately trying to stay alive, his brain frantically sending screaming commands at his lungs to work, to get oxygen into his aching lungs, to get to his heart, so that it would work, so that it would beat.

But he felt no heart beat. He couldn't feel anything but pain. His mind was a confused mess; fragmented memories drifted and were pushed away by the pain and the alien emotions, feelings of distress, panic, despair and fear. Feelings he didn't think he was capable of feeling.

All he knew was that it was like he was lying down somewhere. Everything was a grey, murky mess and it hurt. It hurt so much. His body hurt, he couldn't move his limbs, he felt so weak, so very weak and he felt as if he were slipping away. Everything was blurry.

He wasn't going to make it.

Another searing jolt of pain ran along his left side and his fingers closed reflexively, stiff and sore from lack of blood and having not been moved in a while.

Then he felt it. Soft and warm on his fingertips, his cold fingertips, so soft that at first he thought he was imagining it. But the feeling did not disappear, the sensation remained and he knew that texture. He knew what it was.

His head, which was already tilted to the left, felt heavy, like an awful weight he couldn't carry. The pain was too much. But he had to see. He had to see them…the soft things.

Her feathers.

And so, with a great and terrible effort he somehow managed to lift his arm to see the soft object grasped tightly in his dirt and blood-stained fingers.

He winced as pain ran though him again at the effort, but it was momentarily forgotten as he saw what he held.

Not one, but many soft, silky fiery red feathers. He could feel them underneath the fingertips of his right hand also. They were all around him, surrounding him. He felt something brush against his cheeks, his nose, and his arms.

The feathers were falling.

His arm dropped back to his side, his numb fingertips wanting so very badly to unclench, to release the soft feathers.

But he would not let go. Even when he knew he was going to die.

_I…I…how am I still alive?_ He wondered. Surely after he had collapsed, it had been over…it had been the end?

How was he still alive, in so much agony, but alive and still breathing? How was he managing to function when he couldn't feel his heart beating? He had given everything for his final victory. And now, he knew it was time to pay.

_If…only…I could…I…if only…if only…_

Tears stung at his eyes, and he was far too weak to even feel anger at himself for feeling the horrible urge to cry. But he had messed so many things up. Even paying with his life was not enough to correct the wrongs he had committed.

What if Tyson didn't win? What if he didn't make it…would Tyson be able to go on? Would he be able to defeat Brooklyn? What if BEGA was victorious and Boris won, and was free to unleash his twisted ambitions on the world?

What if Tala didn't awake from his coma?

_No! _Pain assaulted his entire body and he cried out from it, and in frustration and terror at the negative thoughts that filled his mind, burdening him with the extra weight of guilt.

'Argh!' His throat felt dry and sore and his voice was hoarse, a shadow of its normal, confident, slightly mocking and arrogant self.

He tried to form the word on his lips. He tried to say her name. But no sound came out. There was nothing. Panic grew stronger and made his mental voice cry out.

_Dranzer! _

His very soul screamed for his bit beast, his loyal friend, his protector, the entity that knew him better than anyone and anything else.

But what right did he have to call out to her? What right? He had already put her through so much, asked more of her than any master should of their bit beast. He had already forced her way beyond her limits.

No. He would not call out to her. He deserved to rot and die. Alone.

But the feathers surrounded him. He couldn't even feel her presence. Was she close? Why were her feathers here but not her in body?

He was so cold. He wanted her…no. He _needed_ her, needed her warmth, he needed the blazing heat she carried.

_I…I'm so…cold…Dranzer…Dranzer…I'm dying…I'm already dead…cold…is this…is this what Tala feels like…? Is this what he…what he felt when he…when he slipped away…is this…what…it feels like…? _

Another surge of pain and he couldn't stand it any longer. He wanted to get up, to scream for help, to get out of this murky grey hell, this place full of darkness and nothing else.

It was not his way to call for help. But he was so desperate and so very afraid, so very confused.

He wanted to move, but he couldn't. It was like his body was rooted to the spot, held down by some invisible force.

The feathers continued to fall, but they were nothing but blurry objects in the dull blackness.

_What is going on? What is happening to me? _Kai's thoughts were a jumbled and panic filled mess.

_Somebody…get me out of here! _

He closed his eyes tiredly, ready to give up, willing the pain to stop, willing death to take him, to put him out of his wretched misery.

But suddenly, he sensed something. He opened his eyes slowly and blinked, trying to focus.

Out of the corner of his eye, he saw a glimmer in the distance, a spark of light, which quickly blazed into brighter energy. His vision blurred and the light became two separate lights that floated towards him.

Then he heard a pounding, the steady pounding of a heart beating.

But it was not his own.

The red light finally reached him and took shape, exploding into flame and Kai felt heat against his skin.

The light had taken on a fiery form and large, great, mighty wings spread over him and around him, like a canopy of blazing crimson. They pushed away the darkness and kept out the cold.

Kai blinked and managed to roll his head to look up at the entity that stood directly over him. His eyes widened as fiery golden ones fixed on him and his vision finally cleared enough for him to see that she had come.

Dranzer glowed with great, bright energy, but he could see that slowly, one by one, her feathers were falling.

He blinked, feeling very exhausted, opening his mouth, trying to say something, to tell her to leave him alone, to tell her that he didn't want to die…

His lungs rasped for oxygen and again his body convulsed. Dranzer watched him, silent, beautiful, magnificent. She came into and out of focus. Then his eyelids felt too heavy to keep open and he began to close them.

A gentle voice echoed in his mind at that very moment.

_Master. You must stay awake. Soon I will take your pain. The sacrament is almost complete._

Kai fought back the tiredness and looked up at his bit beast.

_Dranzer…_He thought back to her, since speaking was too difficult. _What do you mean…sacrament…?_

In response she lowered her great head and nestled his hair with her beak. Warmth filled him at the contact and his heart ached. He wanted so much to raise his hands and to hold her, to be held in her fiery wing, to apologise, to undo every awful thing he had done.

_I am ready, Master. _

He drew strength from her and raised his left arm slowly, running his fingers through the soft feathers of her great head, over the smoothness of her beak. Warmth ran through them instantly at the contact. She let out a contented croon and nuzzled his face in response.

He couldn't tell her how much he valued her, how much he loved her. She didn't deserve him. He only ever brought her pain.

_Ready…for what…? _He thought back tiredly, gently scratching the feathers her under her chin.

Then, without warning he felt a thud within him. The thud happened again a few seconds later, and again after that. It continued and began, very slowly, to get stronger and steadier.

His heart was starting to beat at last. But as it did, the great pounding he heard around him grew less steady and slower.

His purple eyes looked up at the great phoenix. She pulled back her head and he looked right into her eyes, and as he did, she answered his question.

_The exchange._

His eyes searched hers and the longer he stared the hotter he began to feel. Heat was suddenly searing into his body and with it, even more excruciating pain than what he had felt to begin with. He couldn't look away from her eyes. They fixed him to the spot.

_Exchange…? What? Argh…Dranzer…what are you doing…I…it hurts…stop it!_

He cringed at the pain and his heart beat began to grow stronger and faster. Confusion and fear filled him once again and he tried to push her away. He could usually stand her heat without any problem but this was heat of an entirely different kind to what he was normally used to feeling from her.

_I am sorry Master…I am sorry you must feel such pain…_Her voice echoed in his mind but he could hardly make out the words. The pain was unbearable.

It became so scorching that he cried out and somehow, finally found his voice as his body convulsed from the pain and searing heat.

'Argh…no…stop!'

* * *

All of the above had happened in a matter of minutes, though for Kai, it had seemed like an eternity. In the living world, Spencer was still causing a fuss and making it difficult for anyone to escort him out of the department. 

'You call yourself professionals? You're no more professional than the BEGA league, damn you all!'

Bryan watched as the female medic drew the cover over Kai's body. But as she did so, the body suddenly convulsed and she screamed, entirely unprepared and shocked. The doctor, who had started to move to another patient, looked back at her.

'What on earth is the matter Kim?'

'He moved! Doctor, his body just moved!'

Bryan stared, stunned at what he had just seen. It had been so sudden he half thought he had imagined it. But no. He never imagined things.

Spencer stopped his noise as he heard the paramedic's word. Kai had just moved?

'Moved, that's impossible, he's dead I tell, there's no way…' The doctor was cut off as once again, the body moved, twitching as if it were in pain.

'He's alive, doctor, he's moving!' The male paramedic rushed to the shock pads on the defibrillator machine and grabbed them.

'Just wait a minute…you know after people die their limbs could move suddenly as a result of built up internal pressure…'

'He's alive damn it, his entire body moved twice!' Bryan finally exploded, sending a death glare at the doctor. 'Now you do something or the whole world will know you let Kai Hiwatari die!'

'Kai Hiwatari?' The doctor repeated, his eyebrows rising. The name sounded very familiar to him.

The paramedic moved to Kai and nodded to the others who stood around and held his arms down. The doctor shook his head and moved over to the paramedic and grabbed the shock pads from him.

'You get ready to increase the shock level.' He ordered. The medic nodded.

'It's picking up on a pulse doctor!' Kim cried.

'Alright.' The doctor muttered, not believing the sudden turn in events as he held the shock pads over Kai's chest. 'Give me level one!'

**Author's Note:**

_There you go! There will be one last chapter after this and that'll be it. This was longer than the last one. Thanks so much for all the reviews of the first chapter. They were great and I'm so glad so many of you liked it. I hope you like this one too. The medical terminology killed me lol. I'm no doctor! Please leave your comments and I'll begin on the last one as soon as possible. Thanks so much for reading! _


	3. The Gift

_Alright, finally here is the last chapter! I will be going back and editing the last chapter too. Mainly the medical stuff since I got it all horribly wrong lol. I am not a doctor as I said. ESpiritIce I have to thank you! Your feedback was brilliant and I'm definitely going to make use of your comments. Very much appreciated. Also thanks to ChibiLothlen for your input also. It will be a huge help here, so thanks very much. And thanks to all the rest of you who reviewed. I never thought this would do so well. It's outperforming Blitzkreig Boy! Thank you everyone. Now let the story continue!_

**Chapter III: The Gift**

The staff in the hospital's emergency room rushed about, knowing that time was of the essence if they wanted to save as many lives as possible.

But no fuss being made was as big as the one around the pale, motionless form of Kai Hiwatari.

He had been motionless and had been about to be covered by a sheet…when his body had suddenly convulsed.

Now the doctor held the shock pads over Kai's chest, ready to attempt to resuscitate him.

'Alright, the rest of you know what to do if he recovers. Standby!'

He looked at the nurse who was in control of setting the charge level, and nodded.

'Charge to 200!'

The nurse nodded and a few moments later, the defibrillator emitted a high pitched noise. The nurse nodded again, signalling to the doctor that all was ready.

'Ready.'

The doctor nodded to the rest of the medical staff who had crowded around.

'Everybody clear!'

They all stepped back and the doctor took a deep breath and lowered the pads to Kai's chest. They came into contact and Kai's body jerked upwards violently, and the rest of the staff held their breath and all eyes turned to the heart monitoring screen.

'Come on kid…' Yu whispered. 'You can do it.'

The monitor picked up on a beat but as suddenly as the line rose, it dropped again and was once again replaced with the flat tone of a still heart.

'Nothing doctor.' The nurse said, looking back at him.

The doctor swallowed and looked at the nurse again, and nodded.

'Again!'

* * *

The pain was so intense and so unlike anything he had ever felt before. Kai lost his breath, lost track of everything except the pain. Dranzer's eyes burned into his and he screamed again.

'Argh! N…no! S…stop!'

He was used to feeling fire running through his veins. It was what gave him his power; it was his adrenaline in battles, his strength. But this was different. The fire he felt within was scorching his blood vessels, sizzling and burning and making him feel like he was going to explode from the raw pressure.

_I am sorry Master…_His bitbeast's voice came to him again and through the gentle sadness, he felt her pain, he felt her life draining away. The more pain he felt, the more he sensed her struggle. And with it his pain increased, doubled. He not only felt his own agony, but also hers.

'Dr…D…' He could not say her name, he was choking; he was burning. He could hear the blood rushing in his ears, blood that had been still moments before.

He wanted to curl up and die. He wished and he longed for death to rise up and seize him. He wanted no more pain; he wanted to cause no more trouble. He did not want to mess up anything else.

He had already messed up everything.

He tried to fight the fire, tried to bring the darkness back, anything was better than the pure torture he felt at that moment. But Dranzer would not relent and mercilessly poured her life giving flame into him.

He felt himself rising, being lifted. Through the immense agony, he felt softness brush against his left cheek, and then warmth. He could barely see; his vision was full of angry red and black spots. But he felt her, he felt her wing close around him and he blindly reached out to cling onto the soft feathers of her breast. His left ear rested against her and he could hear her heart deep within her, and all around him he heard it: it was slowing with every moment his quickened.

_No…no…no_…denial and horror and anger mingled with the pain and he felt sick, so very sick. He knew what she was doing. She was a phoenix. He had been died. The maths was all too easy to add up and there was nothing he could do to stop her.

The tears were spilling before he was even aware that he was crying. They rolled down his dirt and blood stricken cheeks, cheeks that were burning, so scorching that the tears evaporated after seconds. Her feathers were everywhere, falling all around him.

Then, suddenly, through the excruciatingly burning sensation, he felt another kind of pain. This felt like…electricity and his stomach lurched and his entire body shook from the current.

_What…what is happening to me_…? Panic and pure fear took over and he cried out to her, confused and angry at the weakness he felt.

'Dr…a…n…zer!'

_It is…almost done…Master…_Her voice in his mind sounded further away and much weaker than it had when she had first appeared to him.

'N…no!' It took all his strength to force the words out. 'St…stop! I…I did…I did this…let me…let…me…I deser…ve…'

He deserved to rot alone in hell. He deserved to be damned for all eternity. His life had been such a joyless, cursed existence that the thought of ending it all was far less terrifying than continuing it, and without her.

The pain would not cease and he felt as if he would lose his mind.

'Dran…zer!' He cried, choking off at the end of her name. He couldn't let her do this. He would not be the cause of another's suffering.

He could not lose her. He could not be the cause of her death. Even if she did return him to the living world, the guilt would eat away at him and he would be dead anyway.

Without her he was incomplete. She had always been there for him. She had always been his one consistent comfort in a world that had consistently let him down and had always schemed against him.

She was the only mercy he knew, she was his stability, what gave him hope and belief and courage, the only thing that prevented him from losing his mind, the only thing that stood between him and utter darkness, the only thing that stopped him from completely freezing over.

A life without her was a life he did not want to face, a life he could not face.

* * *

'Stand clear!'

Everyone moved back at the doctor's command and again the shock was administered to the body.

The body jerked upwards, more violently than before. But once again, the heart beat began and then faltered and stopped.

'Nothing…' The nurse said. 'Doctor…I don't understand…'

The doctor stared at the young man, thoroughly baffled himself. How could it be that the heart recovered but kept faltering? If he didn't know better, it was like Kai was fighting against coming back and recovering. It was as if he did not want to wake up.

But of course, the thought was entirely illogical and unscientific, as well as impossible. The doctor shook his head. This was the last try. If the boy did not recover from the next shock level, then there was no hope.

Around him, the staff were looking anxious and apprehensive. Yu met the doctor's gaze and shook his head. The doctor looked away and swallowed.

'Give me 360.' He instructed.

* * *

Spencer peered through the small, circular window on the door, and then turned away, pacing restlessly.

It had been a struggle, but the staff had finally managed to escort them out of the room and convince them to stay put, with promises that as soon as Kai was in a stable condition, they could see him.

Bryan sat on a chair, feeling more than he ever would have thought possible for the traitor that was Kai Hiwatari.

'What's taking them so long?' Spencer exclaimed.

Bryan said nothing. A few floors up lay Tala, asleep but in stable condition nonetheless. He wondered how the redhead would react if he ever woke up and found out that Kai had died. He wondered what Tala would say, how he would look, what he would do.

Bryan could almost imagine the reaction.

_What…you killed him yourself, is that it? Nice try Bryan._

_No…he really is dead Tala._

_That's enough Bryan._

Tala would not believe it, and when eventually given the terrible proof, Bryan would not like to see the reaction that would follow.

And then of course, there was the small matter of Kai's _other_ friends.

There was nothing they could do but wait, and unlike Spencer, Bryan did not hold a wisp of hope that Kai would recover.

* * *

The beat of her heart was now so slow and irregular that raw terror filled him and gave him strength enough in his desperation to call out to her again.

'Stop it! Dran…zer…I ord…I order you to stop!'

She always obeyed him, always did as he asked. He prayed to whatever higher power that cared to listen that she would now, that she would save herself. He did not deserve her; he could not let her do what she was doing.

When the pain would not stop, he screamed and his voice was full of a heart wrenching mixture of pure agony and desperate pleading.

'Dranzer…_please_! Stop…that's…a…an order! Stop!'

_I cannot…obey._ Came the response.

Shock overwhelmed him. She was disobeying him, defying his order. What hope was there? What more could he say or do?

Too exhausted to continue verbally, he spoke to her in his mind.

_Stop…stop…I brought this on myself…for once…j…just let me get what I deserve…please Dranzer…I…I can't…I can't lose you too…please…_

What he felt back from her stunned him. Through the pain and growing weakness, he felt warmth of a different kind. One that dulled the pain and gave him comfort.

It was…her love. Such a pure kind that he forgot about talking both verbally and mentally and raised his head to look at her, to meet her eyes, eyes that were losing their beautiful, golden glow.

_Dear Master…you…deserve…life…and I must fulfil my duty…as your guardian…as your sacred spirit…I cannot leave you in the darkness. For too long you have been alone. It is time…Kai. It is time for you to begin your life._

She rarely called him by his first name. His burning eyes stung and the tears were falling again. Despite his desperation he knew the ritual was too far along to reverse, he knew that even if she could reverse it she would not.

He lowered his head and buried his face into her chest, and for the first time in ages, Kai Hiwatari wept.

Once he started, he could not stop. The burning sensation dulled even more and the cold crept in and he began to tremble. Her warmth was fading and it was his entire fault.

How could he go up against Brooklyn again? What madness had possessed him to want to seek revenge so badly he would even risk her existence to get it?

He was just as bad as the cursed man that was his grandfather. Power mad and selfish and having no care for who he hurt on the path for glory.

_Weep not, dearest Master…_Her gentle voice made him feel even worse. He could barely bring himself to listen, but he could not block her out either.

_This is your beginning…_

'Dranzer…' he sobbed. 'No…pl…ease…'

_Go back, Master. You are wanted and needed. They wait for you. He will soon awake._

He? Confusion prevented him from registering who she meant. His emotions were all over the place and he did not want her to leave him.

* * *

'Ready.' The nurse nodded.

'Clear!' The doctor barked. Everyone stood back.

He lowered the shock pads.

* * *

_This…is…my…greatest gift…Master…_

Kai opened his eyes at her words but before he could register the meaning, pain assaulted him anew, and it was even worse than before. He did not think he could feel anything more extreme but what he felt at that moment proved him wrong.

The burning mixed with the electricity and he heard voices in the distance, around him.

He could barely catch what they said, just fragments.

'…heart rate!'

'…the oxygen!'

'…it now!'

He gasped. The pain took away his voice, took away everything. Dranzer's wing fell away from him and with it the warmth disappeared and cold surrounded him. But inside he was burning and his heart was racing, pounding so strongly that he felt as if it would burst out of him. Flames suddenly exploded and engulfed his entire body, momentarily blinding him. But he fought against the feeling, and cleared his vision enough to see darkness once again.

He twisted his aching head and caught site of her. What he saw was like a knife being plunged through his heart. Her glow was fading and she was dematerialising. Her feathers were everywhere, brushing against his face, his arms, his fingers, they fell into his hair, they surrounded him, and their flame was dying.

_It is…done…breathe again…young Kai…_

He didn't want to breathe. He didn't want to lose her. But he felt so much pain, and he felt so weak.

_No…Dranzer! Please don't go! Don't…leave me! Dranzer!_

He suddenly felt something give and then he was falling at a high speed, further and further away from her. The feathers floated above him and he caught one, gripping onto it tightly, crying out in despair and terror.

The guilt was crushing him. The pain was too intense. He desperately wished it was all a bad, terrible nightmare but the reality was all too harsh and clear.

The crushing feeling was too much and his aching lungs finally drew in a deep gulp of air. He reached out and up in vain, trying to somehow stop himself from falling, but there was nothing to hold onto and she was now almost completely out of his sight.

It was too soon. There was so much he needed to say to her, so much she had to know. She didn't know how sorry he was, she didn't know how much he truly loved, cherished and valued her.

It was but a fragment of how much she loved and cherished him however. It was now too late for words.

'Dranzer!' He screamed, and the last thing he saw was two golden orbs of fading light, her eyes that never left him.

* * *

Yu stared at the boy's face. He looked like he was in intense agony. The breakthrough had finally come after the doctor had administered the last charge. Kai's body had jerked upwards and then, after a few moments of nothing, his heart rate had shot up, baffling all the medics with its sudden strength and speed.

Now an oxygen mask was placed firmly over the nose and mouth and the rest of the staff were hurrying to administer the appropriate care.

It was nothing short of remarkable. A miracle. Yu silently thanked the force that had brought this amazing recovery about. Had Kai been lost, his death would have deeply saddened many, as well as the sport in which he excelled in would have lost one of, if not the best stars of its time.

The nurse took the shock pads from the doctor, who wiped the sweat from his forehead. He looked at Kai with an expression of amazement on his face, and shook his head.

Muttering 'incredible' under his breath, he congratulated the rest of the team and ordered Kai to be taken to Intensive Care.

The bed was wheeled out of the room, surrounded by nurses who hurriedly exchanged words andexpressed theirrelief and awe at the unexpected and wonderful recovery.

Bryan and Spencer's heads rose as the bed was wheeled past them. They both stood up and one of the nurses looked back and smiled.

'He's alright.' She assured.

It wasn't enough proof for the two young Russians. They hurried forward and peered down at the face. The eyes were closed, and Spencer called out to him.

'Kai? Hey Kai, can you hear me?'

'You'll be able to see him later…please stand back.' The nurse said politely, as they wheeled the bed around a corner and towards the nearby Intensive Care unit .

'No…wait…we just want to make sure…' Spencer persisted.

'Kai?' Bryan called out before he could stop himself. The forehead contorted slightly and the brows drew closer together as the eyelids twitched.

'Please stand back…I must ask you to take a seat in the waiting room.'

'Kai!'

Just as they were forced to stop following the wheeled bed, they caught sight of the lids slowly opening, and very briefly met the gaze of exhausted, disorientated, yet intense and beautifully luminescent purple eyes.

_**Author's Note:**_

_There it's finished! Yay! I'm so glad! I hope this was all ok. I'm sorry this took so long too but I have been so busy with uni work! And again I've updated before the FF8 fic. My FF8 fans are going to kill me for being so nice to all you beyblade fans lol. But hey I had to finish this and I actually feel like this isn't as good as it could have been but I'll leave the feedback to you. Thanks so much for all the reviews, comments and advice, and for reading! Thank you to each and every one of you. I hope this final chapter was worth the wait for you all. Thanks again :) _


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